La peinture "Nighthawks" d'Edward Hopper me fascine depuis la première fois que je l'ai vue. L'ambiance est sublime, mais on sent aussi la solitude et l'anonymat. C'est ce mélange entre lumière et noirceur (extérieur-intérieur, lumière-solitude) qui me fascine et me repousse en même temps.

Nighthawks d'Edward Hopper (1942)

Edward Hopper's Nighthawks fascinates me ever since I first saw it. The atmosphere is wonderful, yet I feel loneliness and anonymity. It's this mix of light and darkness (the contrast between the exterior and the interior, between the brightness of the light and the loneliness of the customers and the waiter) that both fascinate and repulse me at the same time.

Edward Hopper's Nighthawks (1942)

Explore #352 (highest), July 17 2009

Scenes from the life of the Greek hero Achilles

The Acquisition

In 1902, a landowner working on his property accidentally discovered a subterranean built tomb covered by a tumulus (mound). His investigations revealed the remains of a parade chariot as well as bronze, ceramic, and iron utensils together with other grave goods. Following the discovery, the finds passed through the hands of several Italian owners and dealers who were responsible for the appearance of the chariot and related material on the Paris art market. There they were purchased in 1903 by General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the first director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Monteleone chariot is the best preserved example of its kind from ancient Italy before the Roman period. The relatively good condition of its major parts--the panels of the car, the pole, and the wheels--has made it possible to undertake a new reconstruction based on the most recent scholarship. Moreover, some of the surviving ivory fragments can now be placed with reasonable certitude. The other tomb furnishings acquired with the chariot are exhibited in two cases on the south wall of this gallery.

The Form and Function of the Chariot

Chariots originated in the Ancient Near East during the early second millennium B.C. and spread westward through Egypt, Cyprus, and the Greek world. In the predominant early type, the car consisted essentially of a platform with a light barrier at the front.

On the Italian peninsula, the largest number of chariots come from Etruria and the surrounding regions. They are datable between the second half of the eighth and the fifth centuries B.C. and represent several varieties. None seems to have been used for fighting in battle. Most came to light in tombs; after serving in life, they were buried with their owners, male and also female. The Monteleone chariot belongs to a group of parade chariots, so called because they were used by significant individuals on special occasions. They have two wheels and were drawn by two horses standing about forty-nine inches (122 centimeters) apart at the point where the yoke rests on their necks. The car would have accommodated the driver and the distinguished passenger. The shape of the car, with a tall panel in front and a lower one at each side, provided expansive surfaces for decoration, executed in repoussé. The frieze at the axle, the attachment of the pole to the car, and the ends of the pole and yoke all have additional figural embellishment.

The Materials of the Chariot

Although none of the substructure of the original chariot survives, except in one wheel, much information can be gleaned from details on the bronze pieces, other preserved chariots, and ancient depictions of chariots. Note that a chariot is represented on the proper left panel of the car. The preserved bronze elements of the car were originally mounted on a wooden substructure. The rails supporting the three main figural panels were made from a tree such as a yew or wild fig. The floor consisted of wooden slats. The wooden wheels were revetted with bronze, an exceptional practice probably reserved only for the most elaborate chariots. A bit of the preserved core has been identified as oak. The tires are of iron. The sections of the pole were mounted on straight branches. A major component of the original vehicle was leather applied to the wooden substructure. The connection of the pole to the car would have been reinforced by rawhide straps gathered beneath the boar's head, and the yoke would have been lashed to the pole. The upper end of the pole shows traces of the leather bands. In addition, all of the horses' harness was of leather. Moreover, rings of pigskin with the fat attached helped reduce friction between the moving parts of the wheels. The Monteleone chariot is distinguished not only by the extraordinary execution of the bronze panels but also by the inclusion of ivory inlays. The ivories, from both elephant and hippopotamus, are so fragmentary that only the tusks of the boar and the finials at the back of the car have been placed in their original positions. The remaining pieces are exhibited in a case on the south wall. A series of long narrow strips served as edging, perhaps around the panels of the car or on the underside of the pole. It is possible that other fragments filled the spaces between the figures in the central panel of the car. A major question concerning these adjuncts is the method of their attachment, requiring the use of an adhesive. Another question is whether the ivories were painted.

The Figures on the Chariot

The iconography represents a carefully thought-out program. The three major panels of the car depict episodes from the life of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War. In the magnificent central scene, Achilles, on the right, receives from his mother, Thetis, on the left, a shield and helmet to replace the armor that Achilles had given his friend Patroklos, for combat against the Trojan Hektor. Patroklos was killed, allowing Hektor to take Achilles' armor. The subject was widely known thanks to the account in Homer's Iliad and many representations in Greek art. The panel on the left shows a combat between two warriors, usually identified as the Greek Achilles and the Trojan Memnon. In the panel on the right, the apotheosis of Achilles shows him ascending in a chariot drawn by winged horses. The subsidiary reliefs partly covered by the wheels are interpreted as showing Achilles as a youth in the care of the centaur Chiron and Achilles as a lion felling his foes, in this case a stag and a bull. The central axis of the chariot is reinforced by the head and forelegs of the boar at the join of the pole to the car. The deer below Achilles' shield appears slung over the boar's back. The eagle's head at the front of the pole repeats the two attacking eagles at the top of the central panel, and the lion heads on the yoke relate to the numerous savage felines on the car. While the meaning of the human and animal figures allows for various interpretations, there is a thematic unity and a Homeric quality emphasizing the glory of the hero.

The Artistic Origin of the Chariot

The three panels of the car represent the main artistic achievement. Scholarly opinion agrees that the style of the decoration is strongly influenced by Greek art, particularly that of Ionia and adjacent islands such as Rhodes. The choice of subjects, moreover, reflects close knowledge of the epics recounting the Trojan War. In the extent of Greek influence, the chariot resembles works of virtually all media from Archaic Etruria. Contemporary carved ambers reflect a similar situation. The typically Etruscan features of the object begin with its function, for chariots were not significant in Greek life of the sixth century B.C. except in athletic contests. Furthermore, iconographical motifs such as the winged horses in Achilles' apotheosis and the plethora of birds of prey reflect Etruscan predilections. The repoussé panels may have been produced in one of the important metal-working centers such as Vulci by a local craftsman well familiar with Greek art or possibly by an immigrant bronze-worker. The chariot could well have been made for an important individual living in southern Etruria or Latium. Its burial in Monteleone may have to do with the fact that this town controlled a major route through the Appenine Mountains. The vehicle could have been a gift to win favor with a powerful local authority or to reward his services. Beyond discussion is the superlative skill of the artist. His control of the height of the relief, from very high to subtly shallow, is extraordinary. Equally remarkable are the richness and variety of the decoration lavished on all of the figures, especially those of the central panel. In its original state, with the gleaming bronze and painted ivory as well as all of the accessory paraphernalia, the chariot must have been dazzling.

The Reconstruction

After the parts of the chariot arrived in the Museum in 1903, they were assembled in a presentation that remained on view for almost a century. During the new reconstruction, which took three years' work, the chariot was entirely dismantled. A new support was made according to the same structural principles as the ancient one would have been. The reexamination of many pieces has allowed them to be placed in their correct positions. Moreover, the bronze sheathing of the pole, which had been considered only partially preserved, has been recognized as substantially complete. The main element that has not been reconstructed is the yoke. Although the length is correct, the wooden bar simply connects the two bronze pieces.

Cumdach (book shrine) of the Cathach, 1062–94 and late 14th century with later additions and repairs, bronze, gilt silver, wood, crystal, and glass, 19 x 25 x 5.25 cm (National Museum of Ireland)

Scenes from the life of the Greek hero Achilles

The Acquisition

In 1902, a landowner working on his property accidentally discovered a subterranean built tomb covered by a tumulus (mound). His investigations revealed the remains of a parade chariot as well as bronze, ceramic, and iron utensils together with other grave goods. Following the discovery, the finds passed through the hands of several Italian owners and dealers who were responsible for the appearance of the chariot and related material on the Paris art market. There they were purchased in 1903 by General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the first director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Monteleone chariot is the best preserved example of its kind from ancient Italy before the Roman period. The relatively good condition of its major parts--the panels of the car, the pole, and the wheels--has made it possible to undertake a new reconstruction based on the most recent scholarship. Moreover, some of the surviving ivory fragments can now be placed with reasonable certitude. The other tomb furnishings acquired with the chariot are exhibited in two cases on the south wall of this gallery.

The Form and Function of the Chariot

Chariots originated in the Ancient Near East during the early second millennium B.C. and spread westward through Egypt, Cyprus, and the Greek world. In the predominant early type, the car consisted essentially of a platform with a light barrier at the front.

On the Italian peninsula, the largest number of chariots come from Etruria and the surrounding regions. They are datable between the second half of the eighth and the fifth centuries B.C. and represent several varieties. None seems to have been used for fighting in battle. Most came to light in tombs; after serving in life, they were buried with their owners, male and also female. The Monteleone chariot belongs to a group of parade chariots, so called because they were used by significant individuals on special occasions. They have two wheels and were drawn by two horses standing about forty-nine inches (122 centimeters) apart at the point where the yoke rests on their necks. The car would have accommodated the driver and the distinguished passenger. The shape of the car, with a tall panel in front and a lower one at each side, provided expansive surfaces for decoration, executed in repoussé. The frieze at the axle, the attachment of the pole to the car, and the ends of the pole and yoke all have additional figural embellishment.

The Materials of the Chariot

Although none of the substructure of the original chariot survives, except in one wheel, much information can be gleaned from details on the bronze pieces, other preserved chariots, and ancient depictions of chariots. Note that a chariot is represented on the proper left panel of the car. The preserved bronze elements of the car were originally mounted on a wooden substructure. The rails supporting the three main figural panels were made from a tree such as a yew or wild fig. The floor consisted of wooden slats. The wooden wheels were revetted with bronze, an exceptional practice probably reserved only for the most elaborate chariots. A bit of the preserved core has been identified as oak. The tires are of iron. The sections of the pole were mounted on straight branches. A major component of the original vehicle was leather applied to the wooden substructure. The connection of the pole to the car would have been reinforced by rawhide straps gathered beneath the boar's head, and the yoke would have been lashed to the pole. The upper end of the pole shows traces of the leather bands. In addition, all of the horses' harness was of leather. Moreover, rings of pigskin with the fat attached helped reduce friction between the moving parts of the wheels. The Monteleone chariot is distinguished not only by the extraordinary execution of the bronze panels but also by the inclusion of ivory inlays. The ivories, from both elephant and hippopotamus, are so fragmentary that only the tusks of the boar and the finials at the back of the car have been placed in their original positions. The remaining pieces are exhibited in a case on the south wall. A series of long narrow strips served as edging, perhaps around the panels of the car or on the underside of the pole. It is possible that other fragments filled the spaces between the figures in the central panel of the car. A major question concerning these adjuncts is the method of their attachment, requiring the use of an adhesive. Another question is whether the ivories were painted.

The Figures on the Chariot

The iconography represents a carefully thought-out program. The three major panels of the car depict episodes from the life of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War. In the magnificent central scene, Achilles, on the right, receives from his mother, Thetis, on the left, a shield and helmet to replace the armor that Achilles had given his friend Patroklos, for combat against the Trojan Hektor. Patroklos was killed, allowing Hektor to take Achilles' armor. The subject was widely known thanks to the account in Homer's Iliad and many representations in Greek art. The panel on the left shows a combat between two warriors, usually identified as the Greek Achilles and the Trojan Memnon. In the panel on the right, the apotheosis of Achilles shows him ascending in a chariot drawn by winged horses. The subsidiary reliefs partly covered by the wheels are interpreted as showing Achilles as a youth in the care of the centaur Chiron and Achilles as a lion felling his foes, in this case a stag and a bull. The central axis of the chariot is reinforced by the head and forelegs of the boar at the join of the pole to the car. The deer below Achilles' shield appears slung over the boar's back. The eagle's head at the front of the pole repeats the two attacking eagles at the top of the central panel, and the lion heads on the yoke relate to the numerous savage felines on the car. While the meaning of the human and animal figures allows for various interpretations, there is a thematic unity and a Homeric quality emphasizing the glory of the hero.

The Artistic Origin of the Chariot

The three panels of the car represent the main artistic achievement. Scholarly opinion agrees that the style of the decoration is strongly influenced by Greek art, particularly that of Ionia and adjacent islands such as Rhodes. The choice of subjects, moreover, reflects close knowledge of the epics recounting the Trojan War. In the extent of Greek influence, the chariot resembles works of virtually all media from Archaic Etruria. Contemporary carved ambers reflect a similar situation. The typically Etruscan features of the object begin with its function, for chariots were not significant in Greek life of the sixth century B.C. except in athletic contests. Furthermore, iconographical motifs such as the winged horses in Achilles' apotheosis and the plethora of birds of prey reflect Etruscan predilections. The repoussé panels may have been produced in one of the important metal-working centers such as Vulci by a local craftsman well familiar with Greek art or possibly by an immigrant bronze-worker. The chariot could well have been made for an important individual living in southern Etruria or Latium. Its burial in Monteleone may have to do with the fact that this town controlled a major route through the Appenine Mountains. The vehicle could have been a gift to win favor with a powerful local authority or to reward his services. Beyond discussion is the superlative skill of the artist. His control of the height of the relief, from very high to subtly shallow, is extraordinary. Equally remarkable are the richness and variety of the decoration lavished on all of the figures, especially those of the central panel. In its original state, with the gleaming bronze and painted ivory as well as all of the accessory paraphernalia, the chariot must have been dazzling.

The Reconstruction

After the parts of the chariot arrived in the Museum in 1903, they were assembled in a presentation that remained on view for almost a century. During the new reconstruction, which took three years' work, the chariot was entirely dismantled. A new support was made according to the same structural principles as the ancient one would have been. The reexamination of many pieces has allowed them to be placed in their correct positions. Moreover, the bronze sheathing of the pole, which had been considered only partially preserved, has been recognized as substantially complete. The main element that has not been reconstructed is the yoke. Although the length is correct, the wooden bar simply connects the two bronze pieces.

Copper sculpture completed for the City of Fullerton, California. 24"h x 14"w x 10"d

Chased & repousse on 3 dimensional polyester resin form.

Bronze chariot inlaid with ivory

2nd quarter of the 6th century B.C.

Scenes from the life of the Greek hero Achilles

In 1902, a landowner working on his property accidentally discovered a subterranean built tomb covered by a tumulus (mound). His investigations revealed the remains of a parade chariot as well as bronze, ceramic, and iron utensils together with other grave goods. Following the discovery, the finds passed through the hands of several Italian owners and dealers who were responsible for the appearance of the chariot and related material on the Paris art market. There they were purchased in 1903 by General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the first director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Monteleone chariot is the best preserved example of its kind from ancient Italy before the Roman period. The relatively good condition of its major parts--the panels of the car, the pole, and the wheels--has made it possible to undertake a new reconstruction based on the most recent scholarship. Moreover, some of the surviving ivory fragments can now be placed with reasonable certitude. The other tomb furnishings acquired with the chariot are exhibited in two cases on the south wall of this gallery.

...On the Italian peninsula, the largest number of chariots come from Etruria and the surrounding regions. They are datable between the second half of the eighth and the fifth centuries B.C. and represent several varieties. None seems to have been used for fighting in battle. Most came to light in tombs; after serving in life, they were buried with their owners, male and also female. The Monteleone chariot belongs to a group of parade chariots, so called because they were used by significant individuals on special occasions. They have two wheels and were drawn by two horses standing about forty-nine inches (122 centimeters) apart at the point where the yoke rests on their necks. The car would have accommodated the driver and the distinguished passenger. The shape of the car, with a tall panel in front and a lower one at each side, provided expansive surfaces for decoration, executed in repoussé. The frieze at the axle, the attachment of the pole to the car, and the ends of the pole and yoke all have additional figural embellishment.

...The iconography represents a carefully thought-out program. The three major panels of the car depict episodes from the life of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War. In the magnificent central scene, Achilles, on the right, receives from his mother, Thetis, on the left, a shield and helmet to replace the armor that Achilles had given his friend Patroklos, for combat against the Trojan Hektor. Patroklos was killed, allowing Hektor to take Achilles' armor. The subject was widely known thanks to the account in Homer's Iliad and many representations in Greek art. The panel on the left shows a combat between two warriors, usually identified as the Greek Achilles and the Trojan Memnon. In the panel on the right, the apotheosis of Achilles shows him ascending in a chariot drawn by winged horses. The subsidiary reliefs partly covered by the wheels are interpreted as showing Achilles as a youth in the care of the centaur Chiron and Achilles as a lion felling his foes, in this case a stag and a bull. The central axis of the chariot is reinforced by the head and forelegs of the boar at the join of the pole to the car. The deer below Achilles' shield appears slung over the boar's back. The eagle's head at the front of the pole repeats the two attacking eagles at the top of the central panel, and the lion heads on the yoke relate to the numerous savage felines on the car. While the meaning of the human and animal figures allows for various interpretations, there is a thematic unity and a Homeric quality emphasizing the glory of the hero.

The three panels of the car represent the main artistic achievement. Scholarly opinion agrees that the style of the decoration is strongly influenced by Greek art, particularly that of Ionia and adjacent islands such as Rhodes. The choice of subjects, moreover, reflects close knowledge of the epics recounting the Trojan War. In the extent of Greek influence, the chariot resembles works of virtually all media from Archaic Etruria. Contemporary carved ambers reflect a similar situation. The typically Etruscan features of the object begin with its function, for chariots were not significant in Greek life of the sixth century B.C. except in athletic contests. Furthermore, iconographical motifs such as the winged horses in Achilles' apotheosis and the plethora of birds of prey reflect Etruscan predilections. The repoussé panels may have been produced in one of the important metal-working centers such as Vulci by a local craftsman well familiar with Greek art or possibly by an immigrant bronze-worker. The chariot could well have been made for an important individual living in southern Etruria or Latium. Its burial in Monteleone may have to do with the fact that this town controlled a major route through the Appenine Mountains. The vehicle could have been a gift to win favor with a powerful local authority or to reward his services. Beyond discussion is the superlative skill of the artist. His control of the height of the relief, from very high to subtly shallow, is extraordinary. Equally remarkable are the richness and variety of the decoration lavished on all of the figures, especially those of the central panel. In its original state, with the gleaming bronze and painted ivory as well as all of the accessory paraphernalia, the chariot must have been dazzling.

After the parts of the chariot arrived in the Museum in 1903, they were assembled in a presentation that remained on view for almost a century. During the new reconstruction, which took three years' work, the chariot was entirely dismantled. A new support was made according to the same structural principles as the ancient one would have been. The reexamination of many pieces has allowed them to be placed in their correct positions. Moreover, the bronze sheathing of the pole, which had been considered only partially preserved, has been recognized as substantially complete. The main element that has not been reconstructed is the yoke. Although the length is correct, the wooden bar simply connects the two bronze pieces.

[Met Museum]

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5th Avenue, New York

View Large On Black - Click Here

The beautiful Lady Liberty, Liberty Island, New York City. I took this photo of the magnificent Statue of Liberty on my first trip to Liberty Island and New York City in October 2004. She is of utmost beauty and I was totally blown away by her magnifigance.

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty (Statue de la Liberté), is a large statue that was presented to the United States by France in 1886. It stands at Liberty Island, New York in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The copper-clad statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the United States and is a gesture of friendship from France to America. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue, and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper in the statue's construction and adoption of the repoussé technique.

The statue is of a female figure standing upright, dressed in a robe and a seven point spiked rays representing a nimbus (halo), holding a stone tablet close to her body in her left hand and a flaming torch high in her right hand. The tablet bears the words "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" (July 4, 1776), commemorating the date of the United States Declaration of Independence.

The statue is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel (originally puddled iron) with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf. It stands atop a rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. The statue is 151' 1" (46.5 m) tall, with the pedestal and foundation adding another 154 feet (46.9 m).

Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States, and, more generally, represents liberty and escape from oppression. The Statue of Liberty was, from 1886 until the jet age, often one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe. The Statue of Liberty's obviously classical appearance (Roman stola, sandals, facial expression) derives from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Broken shackles lie at her feet. The seven spikes in the crown represent the Seven Seas and seven continents. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand shows the date of the nation's birth, July 4, 1776.

Since 1903, the statue, also known as "Lady Liberty," has been associated with Emma Lazarus's poem “The New Colossus” and has been a symbol of welcome to arriving immigrants. The interior of the pedestal contains a bronze plaque inscribed with the poem, which reads:

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

There are 354 steps inside the statue and its pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown which comprise the jewels beneath the seven rays of the diadem. The tablet which the Statue holds in her left hand reads, in Roman numerals, "July 4, 1776" the day of America's independence from Britain. The Statue of Liberty was engineered to withstand heavy winds. Winds of 50 miles per hour cause the Statue to sway 3 inches (7.62 cm) and the torch to sway 5 inches (12.7 cm). This allows the Statue to move rather than break in high [wind load] conditions.

Source: Wikipedia

6" x 8" 22 gauge copper panel, caused by seeing a big Cooper's Hawk trying to bathe in our (too small) birdbath.

Repousse.

Pediment-shaped gold diadem, part of the Madytos Jewelry.

This group of jewelry is said to have come from a tomb at Madytos on the European side of the Hellespont, in the Thracian Chersonesos. The gold diadem is richly worked in repoussé with an elaborate floral pattern. Dionysos, the god of wine, and his wife, Ariadne, sit in the center; muses playing musical instruments perch among the vines and along the sides. The tiny figure of a muse playing a lyre also appears just above the crescent form on each of the boat-shaped earrings. The seed-like pendants of the earrings are identical to those on the elaborate necklace.

Amazing the detail on such a small scale, from the bead and egg and dart borders, to the little birds beneath the central characters.

Greek, ca. 330-300 BCE.

Met Museum, New York (06.1217.1)

San Rafael Arcangel / Saint Raphael the Archangel

Santa Cruz or Binondo, Manila second quarter of the

nineteenth century (1825–50)

ivory, gold, silver, baticuling wood, silk velvet, silvergilt threads

head to toe: 12" (30 cm)

left to right arm to arm: 6" (16 cm)

chest to back: 2" (5 cm)

base: H: 9 1/2" (24 cm) D: 10 1/2" (26 cm)

Opening bid: PHP 800,000

Provenance: An old Cavite family

ABOUT THE WORK

EXQUISITE ICONOGRAPHY: Loaves, Fish, Coronets and Catmon Flowers

by AUGUSTO MARCELINO REYES GONZALEZ III

This compelling ivory statuette of “San Rafael Arcangel” comes from the cherished altar of an old Cavite trading, shipping, and logistics family and was likely acquired originally from a “taller” workshop of religious images in Binondo or Santa Cruz in Manila. The young Archangel is depicted wearing an exquisite coronet of flowers and leaves executed in chased 14 karat gold and filigree wirework; an unusual blonde wig of Victorian sausage curls; silvergilt repousse wings; vestments embroidered with “catmon” flowers, buds, and leaves in silvergilt threads, along with appliquees of cherubs and leaves in “dorado de fuego” fire–gilded solid silver; a lavishly embroidered center stole with vase, tree–of–life, “boteh” paisley form, and large flower motifs one on top of the other, the top vase/cartouche with the unmistakable Carmelite crest featuring Mount Carmel in Palestine and the three stars symbolizing the three periods of the history of the Order; San Rafael’s attributes of a basket with loaves (an opulent chased and repousse 14 karat gold basket with “catmon” floral and “lubi–lubi” foliar details with ivory loaves) on the left hand and a simple silvergilt staff with a fish on the right hand; and gilded feet to simulate shoes/slippers. The gilded “peana” base is also exceedingly elegant: four separately–carved acanthus leaves emanate from the midsection of the urn and act as bracket supports for the upper section of the peana. It is a feast for a devotee’s, a connoisseur’s, and a collector’s discriminating eyes.

This exquisite San Rafael Arcangel is outstanding because despite its being a “de vestir” (dressed) image with the expected ivory head, hands, and perhaps feet, the entire statuette is actually made of ivory. It is thought that it was probably created at a transitional time from 1800–1850 when solid ivory tabletop images, which were in entirely different styles (baroque, rococo, and neoclassical) and consumed more of the luxurious and expensive elephant tusk, were for economic reasons finally being overlooked in favor of the more sustainable albeit baroque “de vestir” ones with only the heads, hands, and occasionally even the feet of ivory. However, one must be reminded that all kinds of classical Roman Catholic religious images --- the life–sized hardwood statues for the “retablo” altars, the smaller wooden statues for domestic veneration, the luxurious solid ivory statuettes intended for the affluent religious orders in Intramuros and for export to Madre Espana, Mexico, and the Latin American colonies, the life–sized processional as well as tabletop ivory “de vestir” images --- were already being produced simultaneously by the Sangley artisans and their indio assistants since the formalization of the Spanish conquest of these islands in 1571: the establishment of the settlements of Cebu (1565) and Manila (1571).

There are tabletop ivory “de vestir” images at the Museo Oriental in Valladolid, Spain that are documented to have come from Manila in the late 1500s. The famous “de vestir” processional image of the “Nuestra Senora del Santisimo Rosario”/ “La Naval de Manila”/Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary at the Santo Domingo church dates from 1587–93. Three extant examples from the late–1700s to the mid– 1800s illustrating the collective transition in preference from solid ivory to “de vestir” come to mind: 1) An unbelievable “Calvario” tableau of 12” inches/30.48 cm tall solid ivory figures (Cristo Expirante, Mater Dolorosa, San Juan Evangelista, and Santa Maria Magdalena), late eighteenth century (1775–1800), Ex Coll: Maximino Molo Agustin Paterno family, Santa Cruz, Manila, currently in the Paulino and Hetty Que Collection; 2) A tabletop “Nuestra Senora del Pilar” with ivory head and hands, Nino Jesus with ivory head and hands, the linear body painted off–white and embellished with painted scrollwork (in gold leaf) to mimic a solid ivory piece from the eighteenth century, mid–nineteenth century (1850s), Ex Coll: Maximino Molo Agustin Paterno family, Santa Cruz, Manila; 3) A relatively big “de vestir” statuette of a kneeling “Santa Maria Magdalena Penitente,” 1860s–70s, in its high quality and singular style thought to have come from the taller of escultor Leoncio Asuncion y Molo, sold years ago at a major Leon Gallery auction, currently in an important Cavite collection.

The opulent overall concept, excellent craftsmanship, prodigal use of ivory, and exquisite quality of the goldwork point to the distinct possibility of this “San Rafael Arcangel” piece originating from the “taller” workshop of the early maestro Leoncio Asuncion y Molo in Santa Cruz, Manila (1813–1888). The preeminent sculptor was known to have produced magnificent and memorable religious figures life–sized and tabletop in ivory and wood (“marfil y madera”) with singular expressions, full gestures, and perfect, lean anatomies (almost ballet dancer–like) which set them apart from the undistinguished work of other sculptors of religious images. Considered as Leoncio Asuncion’s magnum opus was a spectacular, life–sized, processional tableau of “La Tercera Caida”/The Third Fall of Jesus Christ --- featuring a burdened “Jesus Nazareno” collapsing from a heavy cross, a helpful Simon of Cyrene, three angry Jews, a trumpeteer, two Roman foot soldiers, including another Roman soldier astride a horse --- which was brought out in procession during the “Semana Santa”/Holy Week rites in Santa Cruz, Manila from the 1860s until World War II, when it was assumed destroyed during the Liberation of Manila in February 1945. Leoncio Asuncion y Molo came from an artistic family with affluent origins in the Molo de San Agustin clan of Santa Cruz, Manila --- descended from a migrant Chinese apothecary in the late 1700s --- and were closely related to the Molo Agustin Paterno family, one of the richest, most highly–educated, and most cultured in 1800s Manila.

In the Roman Catholic tradition, “San Rafael Arcangel” Saint Raphael the Archangel is one of The Three Archangels who are specifically named in the Bible. In the larger Christian traditions, The Seven Archangels stand before the Throne of God: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Barrachiel, Judiel, Uriel, and Sealtiel. Raphael is the “Divine Healer.” In the Deuterocanonical (“Second Canon”) books of the Roman Catholic Bible (called Apocrypha by the Protestants), in the books of Tobit and 1 Enoch, is the story of the Archangel Raphael and how he guided and assisted Tobias the righteous father and Tobias the righteous son who were exiled to Persia during the Assyrian conquest, 800 years before Christ. Tobias the father sent Tobias the son to Ragues, a distant city, to retrieve substantial money lent to a relative, with Azarias (the Archangel Raphael) as his companion. The trip was dangerous at every turn. At the Tigris river, a huge fish tried to devour Tobias the son but Azarias prevented it. At the city of Rages, at the house of his relative Raguel, Tobias the son was engaged to the former’s beautiful daughter Sara. Seven suitors had died before him; Azarias assured him that he alone would be spared. Tobias the son married the beautiful Sara, daughter of his relative Raguel. The journey back home ended up happily with Tobias the son and his wife Sara, and companion Azarias, returning to Tobias the father, who had become blind from pigeon droppings. Azarias instructed Tobias the son to cure his father’s blindness with the gall of the huge fish which tried to devour him; Tobias the father was promptly healed of his blindness. Thus, the iconography of Saint Raphael the Archangel with the staff, the fish, loaves of bread, and the young Tobias.

The most famous image of San Rafael Arcangel in the islands is the patron saint of Calaca city, Batangas: It is dark–colored --- the only exposed wooden parts are the head and hands --- whether from dark wood or from the patina of nearly two centuries, it is not known; stands about 12” inches/30.48 cm high (without its pedestal); wears a repousse silver coronet; is dressed entirely in 80 % Mexican solid silver repousse with floral and foliar motifs in the style of the 1860s–70s; depicts the saint with his attributes of a basket of loaves set on cloth on his left hand and a staff with a fish with his right hand; wears silver boots. The image dates stylistically from the 1830s.

Aside from Calaca city, Batangas, other parishes with San Rafael Arcangel as the titular patron are in Linmansangan, Binalonan, Pangasinan; San Rafael, Tarlac city; Mabiga, Mabalacat, Pampanga; San Rafael, Lubao, Pampanga; San Rafael, Macabebe, Pampanga; Park avenue, Pasay city; Balut island, Tondo, Manila; San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal province; Lucena City, Quezon province; and Real, Quezon province. This exquisite ivory San Rafael Arcangel, a magnificent example of Philippine religious art, is on par with the renowned holdings of the National Museum, the Intramuros Administration, as well as the AERA Collection at the Villa Escudero, the Paulino and Hetty Que Collection, and the Mario and Mimi Que Collection.

Lot 142 of the Leon Gallery auction on June 17, 2023. Please see leon-gallery.com/auctions/The-Spectacular-Mid-Year-Auctio... for more information.

Bronze chariot inlaid with ivory

2nd quarter of the 6th century B.C.

Scenes from the life of the Greek hero Achilles

In 1902, a landowner working on his property accidentally discovered a subterranean built tomb covered by a tumulus (mound). His investigations revealed the remains of a parade chariot as well as bronze, ceramic, and iron utensils together with other grave goods. Following the discovery, the finds passed through the hands of several Italian owners and dealers who were responsible for the appearance of the chariot and related material on the Paris art market. There they were purchased in 1903 by General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the first director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Monteleone chariot is the best preserved example of its kind from ancient Italy before the Roman period. The relatively good condition of its major parts--the panels of the car, the pole, and the wheels--has made it possible to undertake a new reconstruction based on the most recent scholarship. Moreover, some of the surviving ivory fragments can now be placed with reasonable certitude. The other tomb furnishings acquired with the chariot are exhibited in two cases on the south wall of this gallery.

...On the Italian peninsula, the largest number of chariots come from Etruria and the surrounding regions. They are datable between the second half of the eighth and the fifth centuries B.C. and represent several varieties. None seems to have been used for fighting in battle. Most came to light in tombs; after serving in life, they were buried with their owners, male and also female. The Monteleone chariot belongs to a group of parade chariots, so called because they were used by significant individuals on special occasions. They have two wheels and were drawn by two horses standing about forty-nine inches (122 centimeters) apart at the point where the yoke rests on their necks. The car would have accommodated the driver and the distinguished passenger. The shape of the car, with a tall panel in front and a lower one at each side, provided expansive surfaces for decoration, executed in repoussé. The frieze at the axle, the attachment of the pole to the car, and the ends of the pole and yoke all have additional figural embellishment.

...The iconography represents a carefully thought-out program. The three major panels of the car depict episodes from the life of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War. In the magnificent central scene, Achilles, on the right, receives from his mother, Thetis, on the left, a shield and helmet to replace the armor that Achilles had given his friend Patroklos, for combat against the Trojan Hektor. Patroklos was killed, allowing Hektor to take Achilles' armor. The subject was widely known thanks to the account in Homer's Iliad and many representations in Greek art. The panel on the left shows a combat between two warriors, usually identified as the Greek Achilles and the Trojan Memnon. In the panel on the right, the apotheosis of Achilles shows him ascending in a chariot drawn by winged horses. The subsidiary reliefs partly covered by the wheels are interpreted as showing Achilles as a youth in the care of the centaur Chiron and Achilles as a lion felling his foes, in this case a stag and a bull. The central axis of the chariot is reinforced by the head and forelegs of the boar at the join of the pole to the car. The deer below Achilles' shield appears slung over the boar's back. The eagle's head at the front of the pole repeats the two attacking eagles at the top of the central panel, and the lion heads on the yoke relate to the numerous savage felines on the car. While the meaning of the human and animal figures allows for various interpretations, there is a thematic unity and a Homeric quality emphasizing the glory of the hero.

The three panels of the car represent the main artistic achievement. Scholarly opinion agrees that the style of the decoration is strongly influenced by Greek art, particularly that of Ionia and adjacent islands such as Rhodes. The choice of subjects, moreover, reflects close knowledge of the epics recounting the Trojan War. In the extent of Greek influence, the chariot resembles works of virtually all media from Archaic Etruria. Contemporary carved ambers reflect a similar situation. The typically Etruscan features of the object begin with its function, for chariots were not significant in Greek life of the sixth century B.C. except in athletic contests. Furthermore, iconographical motifs such as the winged horses in Achilles' apotheosis and the plethora of birds of prey reflect Etruscan predilections. The repoussé panels may have been produced in one of the important metal-working centers such as Vulci by a local craftsman well familiar with Greek art or possibly by an immigrant bronze-worker. The chariot could well have been made for an important individual living in southern Etruria or Latium. Its burial in Monteleone may have to do with the fact that this town controlled a major route through the Appenine Mountains. The vehicle could have been a gift to win favor with a powerful local authority or to reward his services. Beyond discussion is the superlative skill of the artist. His control of the height of the relief, from very high to subtly shallow, is extraordinary. Equally remarkable are the richness and variety of the decoration lavished on all of the figures, especially those of the central panel. In its original state, with the gleaming bronze and painted ivory as well as all of the accessory paraphernalia, the chariot must have been dazzling.

After the parts of the chariot arrived in the Museum in 1903, they were assembled in a presentation that remained on view for almost a century. During the new reconstruction, which took three years' work, the chariot was entirely dismantled. A new support was made according to the same structural principles as the ancient one would have been. The reexamination of many pieces has allowed them to be placed in their correct positions. Moreover, the bronze sheathing of the pole, which had been considered only partially preserved, has been recognized as substantially complete. The main element that has not been reconstructed is the yoke. Although the length is correct, the wooden bar simply connects the two bronze pieces.

[Met Museum]

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5th Avenue, New York

This massive gold signet ring was designed to be worn across the fingers and used as a seal. Composed of an oval cabochon carnelian inset into a bezel hammered from sheet gold and surrounded by four repoussé gold bands, it is an extraordinary example of a well-known type of Hellenistic ring favored in Ptolemaic Egypt. The image of the goddess of hunting, Artemis to the Greeks and Diana to the Romans, is engraved into the surface of the stone in order to produce a relief impression. Here she is shown leaning on a pillar, bow and quiver over her shoulder, reaching toward the head of a stag. The portrait-like quality of the goddess’s face has been noted, and her features (the large Ptolemaic eye and the pointed nose) have been attributed to Queen Arsinoe II (ca. 316 – ca. 270 BCE).

Ptolemaic Egyptian, Greek, made in Egypt, ca. 225-175 BCE.

Getty Villa Museum (92.AM.8.8)

Still hoping, still growing.

Vue du mont Fuji à Ryogoku, capitale de l'est

Ryogoku, nella capitale orientale / Toto ryogoku

Oeuvre d'Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)

gravure sur bois polychrome

Estampe de la série des 36 vues du Mont Fuji

(Fuji sanjurokkei)

1858

Hiroshige hitsu

Oeuvre de la collection du musée d'art oriental de Venise, présentée dans l'exposition Hiroshige. De Edo à Kyoto vues célèbres du Japon, au palais Grimani du 20 septembre 2014 au 15 janvier 2015

www.palazzogrimani.org/mostre-ed-eventi/hiroshige/

Cette exposition très bien scénographiée dans les salles du palazzo Grimani permet de voir de nombreuses oeuvres (estampes) de Hiroshige appartenant aux collections du musée d'art oriental de Venise. Ce musée, dont le fond japonais est très riche, se trouve hébergé depuis de nombreuses années dans des locaux trop exigus au 3ème étage du palais Ca' Pesaro, le musée d'art moderne de Venise. Sa réinstallation dans un palais plus vaste a été sans cesse repoussée, ce qui l'oblige à exposer ses collections dans d'autres musées.

Album sur le musée d'art oriental (photos dalbera)

www.flickr.com/photos/dalbera/sets/72157627615989247

Sto. Niño or Holy Child

In the posture of the Salvador del Mundo or Savior of the World

18th Century

FILIPINO. Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Ivory head and hands joined to a wooden body. Glass eyes. Fiber wig. The whole mounted on an elaborate Rococo inspired base.

Dimensions: With base: 43 cm H x 23 cm L x 11 cm W or 17” x 9” x 4 1/2”

Without base: 30 cm x 13 cm x 9 cm or 12” x 5” x 3 1/2”

Provenance: Property of a distinguished Manila gentleman.

Purchased in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

A charming and highly sophisticated image of the Sto. Niño or Holy Child categorized as a Salvador del Mundo or Savior of the World. The earliest prototypes of these images came from Flanders (the Netherlands); and the earliest extant example of this type in the Philippines is that of the Sto. Niño of Cebu believed to have been brought to the islands by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

The figure of the child Jesus stands with his weight on his right leg and his right foot thrust slightly forward. The left leg is relaxed and the left foot thrust back for balance. The body leans to the right with exceptionally naturalistic pose. The image exhibits much movement as can be detected by the gesticulating hands and the undulating feet with the right foot slightly elevated to suggest arrested motion.

The Salvador wears a Tabard giving the whole a slightly medieval air. A tabard is a sleeveless jerkin consisting only of front and back pieces with a hole for the head The tabard is made of silver worked in repoussé of interlocking, rhomboid shapes. The round collar is particularly noteworthy as it is beautifully chased in foliate shapes. Underneath, the child wears unbleached cotton undergarments consisting of pantaloons and a shirt with long sleeves that covers his arms. The tabard is seamed and closed at the back. The Christ child is shod in boots.

The head is exceptionally well carved with the face beautifully rendered. The face is slightly elongated. The forehead is broad and the eyebrows are arched and painted brown almost the color of coffee. Inset glass eyes. The nose is long and straight. The lips are thin and slightly pursed with the edges tilting upward in a slight intimation of a smile. Dimples appear on his cheeks. The lips are outlined in an orange-red tinge typical of most ivory images made in the Philippines. Navarro de Pintado (1986, p. 107) describes the color as “crimson” but a closer analysis reveals that Gatbonton’s assessment of the “orangish” hue are more on point (1983, p. 27 ).

The Christ child wears a wig of fiber hair. On top of his head, he wears an imperial crown (Corona Imperial) made of repoussé silver fire-gilded in gold in the technique which has come to be known as dorado de fuego (or dorado al fuego). The orb is similarly gilded.

Dorado de fuego or fire gilding is a time honored process by which an amalgam of gold is applied to metallic surfaces. The technique is highly dangerous and volatile because it involves the use of Mercury which, when melted, gives off toxic fumes. If absorbed (which is easily done by inhalation), the fumes can cause neurological and other bodily disorders and even death. The dorado de fuego technique have subsequently been supplanted by electroplating gold over nickel which is more economical and less dangerous.

The Salvador is mounted on an elaborate, rococo inspired base or peana. The base is original to the image which helps to date the piece to the 18th century. The Rococo is an artistic style that blossomed in the middle part of the 18th century as a reaction against the excessive regulation and symmetry of the baroque. The style derives its name from a combination of the French words rocaille (stone) and coquilles (shell). And the style manifested in curvilineal and asymmetrical shapes, light colors and a fondness for gold and gilding. The shape and form of this base, in fact, recalls the fanciful limestone grottoes so popular during the period.

The image of the Sto. Niño or the Holy Child has been popular since the earliest days of the Spanish colonial period. This is evident in the writings of Manila’s first Archbishop, Domingo de Salazar, writing of Filipino craftsmen who

“… are so skillful and clever that, as soon as they see any object made by a Spanish workman, they reproduce it with exactness.... they have produced marvelous work with both the brush and the chisel, and I think that nothing more perfect could be produced than some of their [ ] statues of the Child Jesus which I have seen.” 1

___________________________________

1 Text taken from the Gutenberg Project. The Gutenberg text says “Marble images of the Christ child” but I heavily suspect that Salazar probably was referring to ivory images. 

List of Works Consulted:

Blair, E. H. and J. A. Robertson. The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898. www.gutenberg.org/files/13701/13701-h/13701-h.htm. October 11, 2004. Accessed January 15, 2016. www.gutenberg.org/files/13701/13701-h/13701-h.htm.

Finishing Techniques in Metalwork. 2016. Accessed January 14, 2016. www.philamuseum.org/booklets/7_42_77_1.html.

Jose, R. T. 1990. Images of Faith: Religious ivory carvings from the Philippines. Pasadena: Pacific Asia Museum.

Gatbonton, E. B. 1979. A Heritage of saints: Colonial santos in the Philippines. Hong Kong: Editorial Associates.

Gatbonton, E. B. 1983. Philippine religious carvings in ivory. Illus. by R. Figueroa. Manila: Intramurous Administration.

Navarro de Pintado, B. 1985. Marfiles cristianos del Oriente en Mexico [Christian oriental ivories in Mexico]. Mexico City: Fomento Cultural Banamex.

Baptistery with a baptismal font

'The original baptistery, consecrated in 1557, has been partially preserved to this day, due to the disappearance of the bowl and elements of the fence during the turmoil of war. The creators of the former baptistery were, m.in. Cornelius Hohe, Heinrich Neuborg, Bartel Pasteyde (plinth of the fence) and Hinrik Wyllemson (baptismal font). The octagonal plinth of the fence is decorated with reliefs made of Gotland stone, which depict the March of Mercy, the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, the Baptism of a courtier of the Queen of Egypt, the Vision of St. Peter and the Baptism of Cornelius, the Crossing of the Red Sea by the Jews. On the base of the bowl there are bronze figures depicting allegories of Generosity, Firmness, Mercy, Faith, Hope, Moderation, Wisdom and Justice. At the foot of the bowl there are bronze figures of the Evangelists: Saints Mark and Luke (the others have been lost). The present bowl comes from the church of St. John. It was established in 1682 thanks to the foundation of Katharina Zappio. It is made of wood and is upholstered with gilded copper sheet, with repoussé ornaments and figures of the Evangelists and four biblical scenes. The lid of the bowl is crowned with figures of Christ and John the Baptist, creating the scene of baptism in the Jordan. After 2005, the baptismal bowl was moved back to the historical site. In the chapel of St. George there is a 20th-century plaster cast of the former baptismal bowl'

St. Mary’s Church, Gdańsk, Poland

20240407_170708

Brown goatskin over wooden boards, with a flap tooled in blind with small tools. The spine is decorated with a succession of vertical incisions and rises at the head and tail. The headbands are embroidered in red, black, and tan. The boards are lined with coarse blue linen. Each cover is overlaid with a plaque of silver worked in repoussé and finished by chiselling. The central panel of the upper cover depicts the Presentation in the Temple, and on the lower cover, the Ascension of Christ. Each scene is framed with a border of cherub heads. This silver binding, which is attributable to the seventeenth or early eighteenth century, was likely produced in Kayseri (Turkey).

This Gospels manuscript was written in 937 of the Armenian era [1488 CE] in the province of Ekełeac' by the priest Łazar at the monastery of Surb Awgsend (St. Auxentius). Though the fifteenth-century manuscript was not a terribly costly production (for example, the nimbuses around the evangelists' heads are painted in yellow or orange rather than gold), it later came to be housed in a magnificent binding with large silver plaques showing the Presentation of the christ child at the temple on the front and the Ascension on the back. This silver binding, which is attributable to the seventeenth or early eighteenth century, was likely produced in Kayseri (Turkey). The manuscript's fifteenth-century evangelist portraits show signs of Mongolian artistic influence, stemming from the time when Mongols had conquered the province. For a manuscript of similar style, see the Gospels in Jerusalem, no. 298, copied by Maghak’ia in 1497. The Walters Silver Gospels was used over a long period of time by a succession of owners. Information about its history is given in colophons and ownership inscriptions on the codex's final folios. For example, one note indicates that the book was rebound in 1626, and offered to the church of Surb Astuacacin (Holy Theotokos) in memory of Caruk, Kirakos, and Girigor (fol. 280r). The last date given is the Armenian year 1161 (1712 CE), which may be when the manuscript was rebound.

This Gospels manuscript was written in 937 of the Armenian era [1488 CE] in the province of Ekełeac' by the priest Łazar at the monastery of Surb Awgsend (St. Auxentius). Though the fifteenth-century manuscript was not a terribly costly production (for example, the nimbuses around the evangelists' heads are painted in yellow or orange rather than gold), it later came to be housed in a magnificent binding with large silver plaques showing the Presentation of the christ child at the temple on the front and the Ascension on the back. This silver binding, which is attributable to the seventeenth or early eighteenth century, was likely produced in Kayseri (Turkey). The manuscript's fifteenth-century evangelist portraits show signs of Mongolian artistic influence, stemming from the time when Mongols had conquered the province. For a manuscript of similar style, see the Gospels in Jerusalem, no. 298, copied by Maghak’ia in 1497. The Walters Silver Gospels was used over a long period of time by a succession of owners. Information about its history is given in colophons and ownership inscriptions on the codex's final folios. For example, one note indicates that the book was rebound in 1626, and offered to the church of Surb Astuacacin (Holy Theotokos) in memory of Caruk, Kirakos, and Girigor (fol. 280r). The last date given is the Armenian year 1161 (1712 CE), which may be when the manuscript was rebound.

To explore fully digitized manuscripts with a virtual page-turning application, please visit Walters Ex Libris.

Reliure d'Evangile (Gospel Book binding), 1828, Armenia.

Argent et vermeil repoussés et ciselés.

Presented on www.le-maf.com

Closed for more than 15 years, the Armenian Museum of France is fighting to re-open. Please join the cause on the museum's facebook page.

www.facebook.com/ArmenianMuseumOfFrance

Taken from the top of the pedestal...

Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), has stood on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, welcoming visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans, since it was presented to the United States by the people of France. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the gift commemorated the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and has since become one of the most recognizable national icons--a symbol of democracy and freedom.

The 151-foot (46-meter) tall statue was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and stands atop Richard Morris Hunt's 154-foot (93-meter) rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. Maurice Koechlin, chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower, engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. The Statue of Liberty depicts a woman clad in Roman Stola and holding a torch and tablet, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf.

Affectionately known as Lady Liberty, the figure is derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her left foot, fitted in Roman sandals, tramples broken shackles, symbolizing freedom from opression and tyranny, while her raised right foot symbolizes Liberty and Freedom refusing to stand still. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the Declaration of Independence--July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the Seven Seas and seven continents. Visually the the Statue of Liberty draws inspiration from the ancient Colossus of Rhodes of the Greek Sun-god Zeus or Helios, and is referred to in the 1883 sonnet The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, which was later engraved inside.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1976.

Statue of Liberty National Monument New Jersey State Register (1971)

Statue of Liberty National Monument National Register #66000058 (1966)

Si vous voulez vous logez à Innsmouth, voici du premier choix

Notez bien le papier peint sale et le drap repoussé

If you want to find a nice place to sleep and eat, you have that nice and cosy place

Take notice of the dirty wall-paper and the sheet not in place

slurl.com/secondlife/Innsmouth/160/211/24

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Armure aux armoiries de Nabeshima Yoshishige (1707 - 1730), domaine de Saga (la province de Hizen sur Kyūshū), Japon.

Epoque Edo.

Expo Daymio - Seigneurs de la Guerre au Japon.

Musée Guimet (MNAAG), Paris (75).

Matériaux utilisés : fer, fer repoussé, laque, bois, soie, cuivre doré.

Le kabuto (casque, 兜, 冑) et ses ornements.

Le symbole de paulownia sert de cimier : maedate (前立), les bois de cerf servent de cimier aussi, appelés wakidate (脇立)

Sous le paulownias on a le mabisashi (眉庇), plaque frontale.

Le masque : menpō ou mempō (面頬).

Protecteur du bas du visage et du cou : yodare-kake (襟廻).

Greek gold pendants with repoussé decoration (with traces of enamel on the left pendant), depicting Potnia Theron, Mistress of Animals.

From Dr Maria Chidiroglou, National Archaeological Museum of Athens: Potnia Theron is the name attributed to images of archetypal female deity figures of ancient times, that were related to the protection of nature and were often connected to civilizations of the East, the Syrian – Palestinian area, as well as of the Mediterranean region. The term potnia represents a title of honour. It is found in the Homeric epics and other ancient Greek sources. It is used to describe Artemis (Iliad, 21.470), Aphrodite (ἐρώτων πότνια / the revered one of Erotes: E. Fr. 781.16), Hera (Iliad, 1.551), Circe (Odyssey, 8.448) and other deities and nymphs. After the end of the prehistoric period in Greece, the Potnia Theron figure was essentially assimilated to Artemis. A male figure of similar powers, the Potnios Theron, was also occasionally depicted in ancient art.

Greek, 7th century BCE.

Met Museum, New York (1999.221; 1999.424)

An exhibition piece de gozne ivory ‘San Miguel Arkanghel’ figure with gold and silver accoutrements

ESTIMATE: PHP 1,500,000 - 1,800,000

Early 19th century

Manila

Ivory head, hands, legs; gold wings, helmet, shield, and closed-toe boots; silver sword; lightwood San Miguel’s mannequin body, devil figure, and base; polychrome and gesso

Without stand: 33 x 18 x 14 cm (13 x 7 x 5 1/2 in)

With stand: 42 x 18.5 x 14.5 cm (16 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 5 3/4 in)

Literature:

Regalado Trota Jose, Images of Faith: Religious Ivory Carvings from the Philippines, 1990, p. 92

Exhibition:

"Images of Faith: Religious Ivory Carvings from the Philippines," 1990, USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena

Provenance:

Collection of Johnny Ramirez, Manila

San Miguel Arkanghel, or St. Michael the Archangel, is most popularly depicted in Christian art as the armored angel with sword and shield, trampling Satan beneath his feet. This exquisite santo stands out for its exceptional craftsmanship, high-quality materials, notable former owner, and feature in a book published over 30 years ago. Its well-carved, well-preserved ivory head, arms, and legs are mounted on a de gozne or mannequin body. The detailed chasing and repoussé work in precious gold and silver are evident in the helmet—resembling a cuirass—along with the scaled-down sword with its wavy blade and crossguard, the buckler shield, closed-toe boots, and a pair of wings. San Miguel’s compassionate expression and overall pale, neutral tones contrast beautifully with the bemused, mischievous look of the dark-painted devil, emphasizing the universal theme of Good over Evil—a hopeful reminder that goodness always triumphs.

This santo was one of Johnny Ramirez’s most prized acquisitions and had always had a special place on top of an exquisite kamagong chest of drawers in the sitting room of his luxurious penthouse condominium unit in the metropolis. He lent this santo to the Pacific Asia Museum for their second major exhibition on religious ivories in 1990, and it appeared in the accompanying exhibition catalog.

Lot 710 of the Salcedo Auctions online and live auction on 27 September 2025. For more information and to place an online bid, please go to salcedoauctions.com.

Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), has stood on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, welcoming visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans, since it was presented to the United States by the people of France. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the gift commemorated the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and has since become one of the most recognizable national icons--a symbol of democracy and freedom.

The 151-foot (46-meter) tall statue was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and stands atop Richard Morris Hunt's 154-foot (93-meter) rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. Maurice Koechlin, chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower, engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. The Statue of Liberty depicts a woman clad in Roman Stola and holding a torch and tablet, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf.

Affectionately known as Lady Liberty, the figure is derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her left foot, fitted in Roman sandals, tramples broken shackles, symbolizing freedom from opression and tyranny, while her raised right foot symbolizes Liberty and Freedom refusing to stand still. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the Declaration of Independence--July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the Seven Seas and seven continents. Visually the the Statue of Liberty draws inspiration from the ancient Colossus of Rhodes of the Greek Sun-god Zeus or Helios, and is referred to in the 1883 sonnet The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, which was later engraved inside.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1976.

New Jersey State Register (1971)

National Register #66000058 (1966)

Champtocé-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire)

Château de Champtocé.

Une forteresse fut bâties sur un promontoire de shiste, par la famille de Craon, dès le XIIIe siècle. Le château faisait partie des défenses de l'Anjou face au duché de Bretagne.

C'est dans ce château qu'est né Gilles de Laval, baron de Rais (ou Retz), comte de Brienne, seigneur de Pouzauges, Tiffauges, Machecoul, Pornic, Bourgneuf, Champtocé et autres...

Gilles de Rais ou de Retz est né à Champtocé-sur-Loire vers 1404. Né Gilles de Montmorency-Laval il sera baron de Retz et comme baron de Retz possesseur de Pornic. Il combattra les anglais aux côtés de Jeanne d'Arc et sera promu maréchal de France, il a environ 25 ans, le jour du sacre de Charles VII à Reims. Il sera disgracié après l'échec du siège de Paris en août 1429 (les anglais occupaient Paris depuis 1420, les bourgeois de Paris avaient d'ailleurs accepté l'administration anglaise par mépris de Charles VII qu'ils appelaient le "rois de Bourges", mais surtout parce que les anglais leur avaient accordé de nouveaux privilèges. Les troupes de Charles VII seront repoussées d'ailleurs autant par les parisiens que par les anglais peu nombreux). Il retourna donc sur ses terres et dépensa son immense fortune que le brigandage (était ce le seul? C'était le temps des "Ecorcheurs") ne parvenait à maintenir. En 1433 il ne lui resta plus aucune terre à part celles de sa femme et deux châteaux en Anjou. En 1435, un édit du Roi interdisait à quiconque de commercer avec lui. Il fit venir d'Italie un alchimiste qui prétendait pouvoir fabriquer de l'or (Franco Prelati), puis essaya de reprendre par la force ce qu'il avait vendu. C'est en essayant de reprendre un de ses châteaux à un religieux qu'il s'aliène le duc de Bretagne et l'évêque de Nantes. (En 1439, Gille de Rais doit vendre la forteresse de Saint-Etienne-de-Mer-Morte à Geoffroy Le Ferron. Contestant cette vente, il demande des comptes au recteur de la paroisse, qui est aussi le frère de Geoffroy Le Ferron. Il entre, à cheval et en armes, dans l'église paroissiale au cours de l'office de la Pentecôte 1440 et brutalise le religieux). Des rumeurs circulaient depuis longtemps à son propos, concernant des enlèvements d'enfants.

Une enquête est lancée et le 15 septembre 1440, Jean Labbé, capitaine de Jean V, assisté du notaire Robin Guillaumet, le

représentant de Malestroi, arrête Gilles de Rais à Machecoul. Celui-ci est enfermé au château de Bouffray à Nantes. Il est suivi peu après par ses complices, Prelati, Blanchet, Henriet, Poitou et Perrine Martin.

Gilles de Rais fera l'objet de deux procès, un devant la justice civile dépendante du duc et un devant la justice ecclésiastique rendue par l'évêque.

Le tribunal séculier reproche au prévenu le refus d’obéir au duc de Bretagne, son suzerain, dans la prise du château, et des assassinats d’enfants.

Le tribunal ecclésiastique juge Gilles de Rais pour hérésie, sorcellerie avec évocation des démons, viol de l’immunité de l’Église lors de l’enlèvement du religieux devenu propriétaire d'un de ses châteaux, et enfin pour sodomie. De nombreux témoignages, dont ceux des parents des enfants disparus, sont cités dans les actes des procès. Les serviteurs de Gilles de Rais confirment les enlèvements. Sous la torture, Gilles de Rais se livrera à une confession particulièrement horrible (Lorsque le juge Pierre de L’Hôpital interroge Gilles de Rais sur ses motivations, celui-ci répond à plusieurs reprises que ce fut «seulement pour son plaisir et sa délectation charnelle»).Les deux procès estiment à entre 140 et plus de 200 le nombre des victimes. Le 25 octobre 1440, les deux procès condamnent Gilles de Rais et ses deux complices à être pendus et brûlés. Toutefois, Gilles de Rais sera inhumé avec les honneurs dus à son rang. Les cadavres des complices seront effectivement brûlés. L'alchimiste Prelati (père Francisco Prelati) sera condamné, mais s'échappera.

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Champtocé

Pierre-André Lablaude est architecte en chef des monuments historiques et inspecteur général des monuments historiques. Depuis 1990, il est responsable du parc de Versailles et des bâtiments qui s'y rattachent. Il a bien voulu, très gentiment, répondre à mes questions sur l'avancé des travaux. La remise en place de "l'araignée" est interrompue pour l'instant. Des analyses sont en cours pour savoir si le système hydraulique sera conservé dans l'état d'origine. Les tuyaux de plomb d'origine qui avaient été moulés dans du sable de Fontainebleau, se sont altérés avec le temps. Les pierres du centre du Bassin ne sont donc pas en place. Les essais de remontage des marbres ont commencés.

La mise en eaux prévue initialement pour la fin du mois d'octobre serait repoussée au printemps 2015.

Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), has stood on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, welcoming visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans, since it was presented to the United States by the people of France. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the gift commemorated the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and has since become one of the most recognizable national icons--a symbol of democracy and freedom.

The 151-foot (46-meter) tall statue was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and stands atop Richard Morris Hunt's 154-foot (93-meter) rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. Maurice Koechlin, chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower, engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. The Statue of Liberty depicts a woman clad in Roman Stola and holding a torch and tablet, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf.

Affectionately known as Lady Liberty, the figure is derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her left foot, fitted in Roman sandals, tramples broken shackles, symbolizing freedom from opression and tyranny, while her raised right foot symbolizes Liberty and Freedom refusing to stand still. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the Declaration of Independence--July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the Seven Seas and seven continents. Visually the the Statue of Liberty draws inspiration from the ancient Colossus of Rhodes of the Greek Sun-god Zeus or Helios, and is referred to in the 1883 sonnet The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, which was later engraved inside.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1976.

Statue of Liberty National Monument New Jersey State Register (1971)

Statue of Liberty National Monument National Register #66000058 (1966)

The Statue of Liberty's original torch was removed in 1984 and is currently on display in the lobby of the monument. A replacement torch was added in 1986.

Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), has stood on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, welcoming visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans, since it was presented to the United States by the people of France. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the gift commemorated the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and has since become one of the most recognizable national icons--a symbol of democracy and freedom.

The 151-foot (46-meter) tall statue was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and stands atop Richard Morris Hunt's 154-foot (93-meter) rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. Maurice Koechlin, chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower, engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. The Statue of Liberty depicts a woman clad in Roman Stola and holding a torch and tablet, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf.

Affectionately known as Lady Liberty, the figure is derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her left foot, fitted in Roman sandals, tramples broken shackles, symbolizing freedom from opression and tyranny, while her raised right foot symbolizes Liberty and Freedom refusing to stand still. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the Declaration of Independence--July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the Seven Seas and seven continents. Visually the the Statue of Liberty draws inspiration from the ancient Colossus of Rhodes of the Greek Sun-god Zeus or Helios, and is referred to in the 1883 sonnet The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, which was later engraved inside.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1976.

Statue of Liberty National Monument New Jersey State Register (1971)

Statue of Liberty National Monument National Register #66000058 (1966)

My second repousse attempt using real tools: scrap-turned-Inro-wanna-be. About 3.25" h x 2.5" w x 1" d. I made the big sliding copper bead as well as the polymer clay box - a real project.

English: Emperor Tiberius's triumph. Silver skyphos with repoussé decoration, late 1st century BC–early 1st century AD. From the villa della Pisanella at Boscoreale, 1895.

Français : Triomphe de l'empereur Tibère. Skyphos en argent repoussé, fin du Ier siècle av. J.-C.-début du Ier siècle ap. J.-C. Provenance : villa della Pisanella à Boscoreale, 1895.

Dimensions H. 9.2 cm (3 ½ in.), W. 21 cm (8 ¼ in.)

Credit line Dation in payment, 1990

Accession number Bj 2367

Location Department of Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities, Sully, first floor, room 33, case 8

Source/Photographer Marie-Lan Nguyen (User:Jastrow), 2009

Preferred Citation: Kuttner, Ann L. Dynasty and Empire in the Age of Augustus: The Case of the Boscoreale Cups. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1995 1995. ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft309nb1mw/

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Conclusion: The Boscoreale Cups and Roman Art

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Conclusion:

The Boscoreale Cups and Roman Art

I should like to do two things here. One is to sum up the major art-historical findings of this study, as the last chapter commented on its historical findings. The other is to speak directly about my own methodology as a Roman art historian; this might seem to be more appropriate in an introduction to a study of this kind, but I feel that only the reader who has absorbed at least some of this work will be critically equipped to judge the efficacy and clarity of my approach. Its first principle is simply to ask of any period, What works of art existed, and what did they look like? So much has been lost, and lost permanently beyond all hope of retrieval; thus all fragments, hints, and indications become, like the BR cups, extremely valuable. Although it is difficult to keep always in mind an imaginative construct to supplement the poor reality of the tangible remains, the rewards of such effort are considerable. For instance, Eck stresses how the arrangement of inscriptions, often all we have left of ancient dedications, can indicate the basic structure of the lost statuary above; his point seems simple, but he was the first to consider in this light inscriptions known for over fifty years and to reconstruct from its base an actual monument of the kind long postulated as prototype for the famous Puteoli base of Tiberius (figs. 47, 62)[1]

The reader will have noted throughout a concern with the relationship of spectator to object, in terms of the intent of the original designer(s) and patron(s) who engendered Roman images, with regard to the audiences whom they wished to comprehend these images' didactic content and to appreciate their esthetic structures. In visual, as in verbal, communication, true comprehension depends on a shared language of forms and symbols; an iconographer must, like a historian, strive to the best of her necessarily limited powers to reconstruct the relevant prior experience and assump-

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tions of the persons whose perceptions she investigates. This truism is very seldom made explicit. I stand here behind T. Hölscher's unparalleled 1984 essay on the question of the Publikum for the state monuments we seek to interpret today, though I am more optimistic that one can know something of audiences besides those of the elite "senatorial" level. This optimism—though austere and limited—is founded on the principle of the lowest common denominator, the value of badly made and/or mass-produced, relatively cheap artifacts. I believe that the basic symbolic language available to classes other than the elite can be discerned in the often drastically simplified elements of "high" ideology and iconography that make it onto the crude glass pastes that crowd the back pages of gem catalogues, onto matrix-stamped military armament decoration, onto Arretine ware pottery molds, and so forth. Obviously, I also believe that numismatic designs were very often intended to disseminate legible imagery for political purposes, that the state coinage did indeed function as a vehicle for political propaganda directed toward the uneducated, as well as educated, classes; I also think these messages were usually obvious and simple.

I have been speaking of audiences and messages in the plural. A natural consequence of the multiple stratifications of society in the Roman Empire was a differentiation of culture and a variation in cultural sophistication among different classes, peoples, and regions in the Empire. It is also plain that the most capable Roman patrons were (like Greeks before them) interested in creating monuments and images that spoke to more than one segment of society and that had more than one symbolic message. To describe this quality in a work of art, multi- or polyvalency is a common image usefully borrowed from the vocabulary of atomic structure. I find useful the notion of resonance, transferred from the realm of musical effects to the world of artifacts. As the striking of a piano key produces a sound with multiple tones, so the impact of the Gemma Augustea (fig. 16) or Arch of Constantine on thoughtful vision sets off not a unitary impression but a series of related multiple impressions; the proximity and/or prior existence of related monuments known to the spectator weaves a kind of web of associations comparable to the resonant effects produced by the proximity of other strings to the piano key actually struck.

The danger in reconstructing the original resonances of an extant monument is that one will read into the work messages not intended for the original Roman audience. One can so easily become oversubtle, assert too much rather than too little. There are two brakes on exegetical speed-

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ing; first, to be explicit and knowledgeable about the historical audience postulated for an artifact; second, always to look for parallels to show that the reading one proposes was at least possible in a given context. Truisms again, but not always appreciated or observed. Only multiple occurrences of a given symbol or form justify the assertion of a pattern of action, whether formal (style) or symbolic (iconography). One needs also a plausible hypothesis to account for such patterns: one must try to document the means by which an artist or his audience could have seen the images by which they are held to have been influenced, and this takes one back to the question of a given audience and the imagery accessible to it. To cite a classic instance, it is often asserted that the architectural form of the Ara Pacis deliberately echoes that of the Athenian Altar of Pity. If true, the quote can have been expected to be legible only to the elite, who would have traveled to Athens, not to the Roman plebs; on the other hand all segments of the urban population can be expected to have recognized the parallel with the Januum, one of the oldest, most prestigious, and most central of all sanctuaries in the capital.

I have acknowledged my debt to the investigative approach formulated by Hölscher. I have gained much from the implicit and explicit definitions developed by many others of what evidence is relevant to interpreting Roman political art. It should be clear by now that often I find myself in the company of the contemporary German art historians Zanker, Simon, Fittschen, et al., asking similar questions of similar material; asked to assign myself to a "school," I should name also the Italians, F. Coarelli and M. Torelli. My real debt to Coarelli's efforts to understand artistic production in terms of patronage and the politically charged architectural geography of Rome is obscured here by the fact that this work explores mainly imperial, rather than Republican, art. Even where I disagree with Torelli's conclusions, I have tried to keep in mind the imperative heading his essays on Roman historical relief: Roman narrative and commemorative art can be illuminated by Roman texts, but they must be texts with a cognate function. Finally, in all projects I have ever undertaken with regard to Roman art, I am in debt to Otto Brendel's Prolegomena to the Study of Roman Art (New Haven, 1979): his definitions of the essential questions asked (and not asked) of Roman art and his vision of multiple lines of development separated by medium and genre have irrevocably marked my own perceptions of Roman images.

The consequences of holding to these tenets are evident in my readings of the Boscoreale Cups and of many other monuments besides. The Boscoreale Cups, and the monument from which they were copied, have been

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demonstrated primarily on political grounds to be works of Augustus' reign, specifically of the period between Tiberius' triumph in 8/7 B.C. and his exile in 6 B.C. Now firmly dated, these panels are important to the stylistic history of Roman relief; they illuminate the early occurrence not only of stock figures common in the later canon but of experiments with complex figure groupings and the depiction of "space" that are not usually associated with Augustan art. No aspect of compositional structure in these panels is discordant with the date reached on iconographic grounds; the three-beat structure of the allegory BR I:1, for instance, is typical of classicizing Augustan work in many media. Indeed, if it were absolutely necessary, the pieces could be plausibly dated between the Ara Pacis (13-9 B.C.) and the Gemma Augustea (A.D. 10–14) purely by stylistic analysis. I have discussed at many points the formal congruence of the cups with the Ara Pacis; the Gemma Augustea's upper register has compositional structures very similar to the BR audience scenes and displays a different, but no less complex, exploration of the alignment of figures in space (fig. 16). The "dating" value of the Ara Pacis is as a public sculptural monument exemplifying the best work of the court ateliers; the Gemma Augustea indicates a familiarity on its artist's part with monuments on a similar scale, for radical stylistic (as opposed to iconographic) experimentation is not to be expected of any gem cutter's workshop.

This book has tried to explain, as completely as possible, the imagery of the Boscoreale Cups. The listing of parallels as a mode of scholarship is mere antiquarianism if it is seen as an end and not as a means; inevitably, some of my "lists" have remained at this level, but these investigations have always tried to ask the primary questions What does image X signify, why is it used, and what is it doing on the Boscoreale Cups? In the search for a compelling argument I have tried to cast my net as wide as possible, to bring forward all relevant available evidence from textual and visual sources; my lapses will, I hope, be corrected by others in the same benevolent spirit of argument in which I have critiqued the interpretations of the scholars whose work fed mine.

The effort to explain generated many tangents and thematic excursuses. The process of explanation works both ways: images adduced to explain the BR cups are themselves illuminated by the process of explanatory ordering. Thus the cups prove to be valuable points of comparison for understanding many other works, under two main headings: the modes of policy and propaganda that much Roman art was intended to serve, and the complex patterns of form, temporality, and causation with which Roman narrative and commemorative arts concerned themselves as pri-

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mary objects of artistic endeavor. The purview of the book ranges from the earliest to the latest products of the Roman city-state, from terracotta pediments erected by nameless Republican nobiles to the monuments of the generals contesting and defending the late Empire; it takes in the Anaglypha Traiani and the Hadrianeum, the Ludovisi sarcophagus and the arches of Galerius and Constantine, the Beneventum Arch of Trajan, the Throne of Claudius and the Puteoli base, cuirass statues famous (Primaporta, Cherchel) and obscure (Castello d'Aglie, Amphipolis), famous and not-so-famous cameos, Arretine ware, military decoration, the imperial fora and the Aphrodisias Sebasteion, the cenotaph of Gaius at Limyra and of Drusus at Mainz . . .

The central contribution of this book to Roman art history is, I hope, a better understanding of Augustan artistic production, reached in the process of embedding the BR cup panels firmly in the high road of the Augustan monumental tradition. This enlarged understanding has two aspects. First, these investigations have radically enlarged and deepened our knowledge and comprehension of many individual works of art and coin images. The monument most significantly illuminated in this way is that marble microcosmos the Ara Pacis Augustae, especially in regard to its celebration of the worldwide Roman imperium and the imperial nature of Augustus' pax; for it is now clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that children of foreign rulers march in the processions of the Ara Pacis, and I have tried to stress the importance of others' findings that the peoples of empire were personified on the inner altar. Hardly another aspect of the Ara Pacis, whether of iconography, temporal or conceptual structure, landscape or relief style, cannot benefit from comparative analysis of the BR cups.[2]

Second, these investigations have significantly expanded our knowledge of specific Augustan artistic genres and themes. One can now be much more specific about that acknowledged phenomenon, the paradigmatic influence of Augustan monuments and imagery on later imperial artistic production. No longer will it be possible to contemplate Hadrianic ethnic personification groups in ignorance of the many Augustan examples, their Republican roots, and their Julio-Claudian "offspring"; the seated togate statue will not be a mysterious, ill-considered figure type; no longer will the great Flavian and second-century achievements in historical relief seem to have arisen from a near vacuum. At the same time, the book has tried to show how the Augustan production was itself grounded in Republican political and creative culture, even as Augustus' artists draw on all the resources of their Classical and Hellenistic heritage to put an Augustan stamp on this latest phase of Republican culture.

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This widened perspective strengthens the appreciation of certain themes as peculiarly Augustan. For instance, the observable Augustan interest in images of children, especially very little children, is exemplified by BR I; this theme seems to be consciously evoked only and to a limited extent in Trajanic art, although the institution (alimenta ) with which it is there associated was important politically both under Trajan's predecessor Domitian and his successor Hadrian. Under both headings, individual monuments and genres, our understanding of the self-images that Augustus sought to promulgate has been enhanced. The parameters often ascribed to the terms of his self-glorification have been permanently broadened: the public Augustus must now include the Jupiter-consul of BR I:1, who joins the naked, heroized Augustus of (lost) commemorative statuary whom Zanker, Coarelli, and others have stubbornly brought to our attention in recent years.

Comprehensive stylistic comparison with the extant canon of Republican and Julio-Claudian art has not been my aim. Now that the BR cups are more firmly dated, such comparison becomes possible; one can hope to see them enter broader discussions of Roman relief style. In closing I would like to comment on an artistic aspect of BR I:1 not previously discussed that may illustrate the inherent possibilities of such comparative analysis for enlarging our appreciation of Augustan art in general.

On BR I:1 in the allegory of Augustus' world rule Venus is about to "make" the Curia Actium Victory group (cf. fig. 20). Mars too is about to "make" a sculpture group, of a type well documented in the Augustan and Julio-Claudian periods (see pp. 41f); a class of honorific monuments in Rome showed a Roman magistrate standing or seated in the midst of a group of personifications of peoples or communities whom he had benefited. In the implied narrative here, once Mars brings up his group and they range themselves before the emperor, such a grouping will come to pass. The viewer's full appreciation of the narrative is conditional upon his knowledge of such public monuments. It was by now commonplace in Greco-Roman art to show the performance of simple acts of construction such as the decking of a trophy or the inscribing of an honorific shield by a goddess. It seems, however, to be a mark of Augustan political art that narrative at all levels, physical and symbolic, should so often be structured by such visual puns.

This characteristic indicates a high level of sophistication on the part of the artist and the audience expected to appreciate and relish such an aspect; it also assumes a high degree of familiarity with prominent individual examples of official monuments. This kind of narrative-visual structure

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can be observed on the Augustan Arcus Novus panel (fig. 12), where Amor floats through the air toward Venus' shoulder, intending to land there, as on the Ravenna relief (fig. 8), where his legs still kick in the air. It is also evident on the Belvedere altar's main panel (fig. 11); between the two laurel trees of Augustus' Palatine abode Victory floats to earth to place Augustus' clipeus virtutis on its pillar, as it appeared in the Curia.[3] And it structures the literal narrative of the bottom half of the Gemma Augustea (fig. 16), as well as the symbolic narrative of the entire cameo. In the lower exergue a trophy group is being put together—soldiers haul up the central wooden post, a captive barbarian couple are already positioned at its foot on the left, as another pair of soldiers haul over a man and woman meant to flank the post on the right, to build a Roman trophy group of classic type known from countless representations in art and probably enacted in actual triumphal parades. The soldiers at left heave the main tree toward Augustus as Tiberius overhead moves down toward him in the upper panel along a converging path; the strong sense of two dynamic lines of motion converging simultaneously on Augustus, in the two fields/worlds on the cameo, is conceptually very like the BR panel, where the two surges of motion occur within a single panel. (The lower exergue as an isolated unit has a structure parallel to the cup panel: motion from the sides toward the center.) This parallelism already sets up a symbolic narrative that is given more definite shape in the implied "future" when the trophy will be exactly between Augustus (note the position of its foot) and Tiberius, who will be immediately before him—emperor and heir aligned on a "real" historical axis of victory.

Presented with such compositions, the viewer gets double for his money: he gets the composition as it exists, a glimpse of figures in action aligned in a meaningful pattern, and he is also given an evocation of an alignment that is about to evolve out of the one that he sees. This implicit second alignment not only extends the symbolic message he can read but also anchors the artistic construct he sees to other artistic constructs he already knows; because the mind is tugged toward the familiar composition just over the temporal horizon, these tableaux are given a real temporal dynamism.

Self-conscious artistic reference to other works of art is a well-known hallmark of Hellenistic and Roman literary art. In the visual arts it operates at a basic level in all iconographic correspondence, as in the individual figures and pairings of the BR allegory. It has not, however, been noted before as operating at the narrative level and in a temporal dimension, as here in these Augustan pieces.[4] The Boscoreale Cups testify that even if

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written discourse on art was mainly limited (as in Pliny) to "Old Masters," at least some Romans some of the time noticed and enjoyed the contemporary products of Augustus' sculptors. And the kind of visual game just outlined is further proof that we are not different from the Romans of 7 B.C. in giving serious attention to and finding pleasure in the world of Augustan art.

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Conclusion: The Boscoreale Cups and Roman Art

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Preferred Citation: Kuttner, Ann L. Dynasty and Empire in the Age of Augustus: The Case of the Boscoreale Cups. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1995 1995. ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft309nb1mw/

Bronze chariot inlaid with ivory

2nd quarter of the 6th century B.C.

Scenes from the life of the Greek hero Achilles

In 1902, a landowner working on his property accidentally discovered a subterranean built tomb covered by a tumulus (mound). His investigations revealed the remains of a parade chariot as well as bronze, ceramic, and iron utensils together with other grave goods. Following the discovery, the finds passed through the hands of several Italian owners and dealers who were responsible for the appearance of the chariot and related material on the Paris art market. There they were purchased in 1903 by General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the first director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Monteleone chariot is the best preserved example of its kind from ancient Italy before the Roman period. The relatively good condition of its major parts--the panels of the car, the pole, and the wheels--has made it possible to undertake a new reconstruction based on the most recent scholarship. Moreover, some of the surviving ivory fragments can now be placed with reasonable certitude. The other tomb furnishings acquired with the chariot are exhibited in two cases on the south wall of this gallery.

...On the Italian peninsula, the largest number of chariots come from Etruria and the surrounding regions. They are datable between the second half of the eighth and the fifth centuries B.C. and represent several varieties. None seems to have been used for fighting in battle. Most came to light in tombs; after serving in life, they were buried with their owners, male and also female. The Monteleone chariot belongs to a group of parade chariots, so called because they were used by significant individuals on special occasions. They have two wheels and were drawn by two horses standing about forty-nine inches (122 centimeters) apart at the point where the yoke rests on their necks. The car would have accommodated the driver and the distinguished passenger. The shape of the car, with a tall panel in front and a lower one at each side, provided expansive surfaces for decoration, executed in repoussé. The frieze at the axle, the attachment of the pole to the car, and the ends of the pole and yoke all have additional figural embellishment.

...The iconography represents a carefully thought-out program. The three major panels of the car depict episodes from the life of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War. In the magnificent central scene, Achilles, on the right, receives from his mother, Thetis, on the left, a shield and helmet to replace the armor that Achilles had given his friend Patroklos, for combat against the Trojan Hektor. Patroklos was killed, allowing Hektor to take Achilles' armor. The subject was widely known thanks to the account in Homer's Iliad and many representations in Greek art. The panel on the left shows a combat between two warriors, usually identified as the Greek Achilles and the Trojan Memnon. In the panel on the right, the apotheosis of Achilles shows him ascending in a chariot drawn by winged horses. The subsidiary reliefs partly covered by the wheels are interpreted as showing Achilles as a youth in the care of the centaur Chiron and Achilles as a lion felling his foes, in this case a stag and a bull. The central axis of the chariot is reinforced by the head and forelegs of the boar at the join of the pole to the car. The deer below Achilles' shield appears slung over the boar's back. The eagle's head at the front of the pole repeats the two attacking eagles at the top of the central panel, and the lion heads on the yoke relate to the numerous savage felines on the car. While the meaning of the human and animal figures allows for various interpretations, there is a thematic unity and a Homeric quality emphasizing the glory of the hero.

The three panels of the car represent the main artistic achievement. Scholarly opinion agrees that the style of the decoration is strongly influenced by Greek art, particularly that of Ionia and adjacent islands such as Rhodes. The choice of subjects, moreover, reflects close knowledge of the epics recounting the Trojan War. In the extent of Greek influence, the chariot resembles works of virtually all media from Archaic Etruria. Contemporary carved ambers reflect a similar situation. The typically Etruscan features of the object begin with its function, for chariots were not significant in Greek life of the sixth century B.C. except in athletic contests. Furthermore, iconographical motifs such as the winged horses in Achilles' apotheosis and the plethora of birds of prey reflect Etruscan predilections. The repoussé panels may have been produced in one of the important metal-working centers such as Vulci by a local craftsman well familiar with Greek art or possibly by an immigrant bronze-worker. The chariot could well have been made for an important individual living in southern Etruria or Latium. Its burial in Monteleone may have to do with the fact that this town controlled a major route through the Appenine Mountains. The vehicle could have been a gift to win favor with a powerful local authority or to reward his services. Beyond discussion is the superlative skill of the artist. His control of the height of the relief, from very high to subtly shallow, is extraordinary. Equally remarkable are the richness and variety of the decoration lavished on all of the figures, especially those of the central panel. In its original state, with the gleaming bronze and painted ivory as well as all of the accessory paraphernalia, the chariot must have been dazzling.

After the parts of the chariot arrived in the Museum in 1903, they were assembled in a presentation that remained on view for almost a century. During the new reconstruction, which took three years' work, the chariot was entirely dismantled. A new support was made according to the same structural principles as the ancient one would have been. The reexamination of many pieces has allowed them to be placed in their correct positions. Moreover, the bronze sheathing of the pole, which had been considered only partially preserved, has been recognized as substantially complete. The main element that has not been reconstructed is the yoke. Although the length is correct, the wooden bar simply connects the two bronze pieces.

[Met Museum]

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5th Avenue, New York

Jeweled covers of the Lindau Gospels, front cover (Court School of Charles the Bald, Abbey of St. Gall), c. 880; back cover (Salzburg or vicinity), 750-800, 350 x 275 mm (Morgan Library)

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Crown of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception (Crown of the Andes, Columbia) c. 1660 (diadem), c. 1770 (arches), gold and emeralds, 34.3 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

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The Art Bead Scene challenge for July was the Lascaux cave paintings. It was fun jumping from hot colors to neutrals-- ochre, sienna, black, raw umber and rust but a primitive style prevails. Added copper repousse Tibetan beads, naga coins, black Oaxacan clay bird beads and a pewter button clasp.

property of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

for educational purpose only

please do not use without permission

Jeweled covers of the Lindau Gospels, front cover (Court School of Charles the Bald, Abbey of St. Gall), c. 880; back cover (Salzburg or vicinity), 750-800, 350 x 275 mm (Morgan Library)

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Taken from the top of the pedestal...

Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), has stood on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, welcoming visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans, since it was presented to the United States by the people of France. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the gift commemorated the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and has since become one of the most recognizable national icons--a symbol of democracy and freedom.

The 151-foot (46-meter) tall statue was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and stands atop Richard Morris Hunt's 154-foot (93-meter) rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. Maurice Koechlin, chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower, engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. The Statue of Liberty depicts a woman clad in Roman Stola and holding a torch and tablet, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf.

Affectionately known as Lady Liberty, the figure is derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her left foot, fitted in Roman sandals, tramples broken shackles, symbolizing freedom from opression and tyranny, while her raised right foot symbolizes Liberty and Freedom refusing to stand still. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the Declaration of Independence--July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the Seven Seas and seven continents. Visually the the Statue of Liberty draws inspiration from the ancient Colossus of Rhodes of the Greek Sun-god Zeus or Helios, and is referred to in the 1883 sonnet The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, which was later engraved inside.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1976.

Statue of Liberty National Monument New Jersey State Register (1971)

Statue of Liberty National Monument National Register #66000058 (1966)

Rendile women dance, live.

Sorry for the sound but the wind was strong...

The Rendille: Pushed away by their neighbours, they henceforth inhabit a vast territory : from the Kaisut Desert to the east (one of Kenya's most arid regions) to the shores of Lake Turkana to the west and the Chalbi Desert to the north.They are semi-nomadic, that is to say both nomad and pastoralist. Clans live in temporary settlement called gobs. Gobs are usually near dug wells and are given the name of the clan, subclan or the elder of the family. The Rendille never stay long at the same place to look for water sources and pasturing areas. They have to move 3 to 5 times a year. Villages are typically made of two dozen houses with about 120 individuals. They are composed of a group of semi-spherical huts made of branches and covered with leather or canvas. Women are in charge of taking the houses apart and putting them back in the new location. Near the huts, an enclosure of crabbed branches protects camels for the night. Each kind of animal they keep (camels, sheeps, goats, cattle) have a separate camp that is taken cared of by people of a different age-set. Unlike other pastoral tribes, the Rendille favour camels rather than cattle, because they are better suited to the environment. The Rendille depend heavily on these animals for many of their daily needs: food, milk, clothing, trade and transport. The Rendille are skilled craftsmen and make many different decoration or ornaments. The warriors often wear proudly a distinctive visor-like hairstyle, dyed with red ochre. As for the women, they wear several kilos beads. The Rendille receive empooro engorio beaded collars for marriage, made of palm fibers, girafe or elephant hairs. Like the Maasai with cows, camels are bled in order to drink their blood. The Rendille are closely aligned with the Samburu, by economic and kinship's ties. They have often adopted their language. Marriage is not allowed within one's own clan, and is arranged by parents as for most tribes. Each wife lives in her own home with her children, and mothers have a high status. Society is strongly bound by family ties. The Rendille still believe in their God, called Wak or Ngai. They also have fortune-tellers who predict the future, and perform sacrifices to make it rain. Special ceremonies take place at a child's birth. A ewe or goat is sacrificed if it is a girl, a ram if a boy. The girl is blessed 3 times while 4 for the boy. In the same way, mother drinks blood for 3 days for a babygirl, 4 days for a babyboy. The weeding ceremony takes time. The prospective groom must give the bridewealth (gunu) to the bride's family: 4 female and 4 male camels (half for the father, the remaining camels for the rest of the family). One of them is eaten at the ceremony. The bride wears jewellery made of glass and metal, necklaces of beads and wire, headbands, and a large circular earings. She will join her husband's family after marriage. The elders discuss problems in a ritual circle called Nabo, in which women are allowed to enter. They also meet there to pray, receive guests and perform ceremonies.

Les Rendille: Repoussés par leurs voisins, ils habitent désormais un vaste territoire, qui va du Désert de Kaisut à l’est (l’une des régions les plus arides du Kenya) aux rives du Lac Turkana à l’ouest et au Désert de Chalbi au Nord.Ils sont semi-nomades, c’est-à-dire à la fois nomades et pasteurs. Les clans vivent dans des installations temporaires appelées gobs. Les gobs sont souvent situés près des puits à main auxquels on donne le nom du clan, sous-clan, ou de l’aîné de la famille. Les Rendille ne restent jamais longtemps au même endroit pour chercher des sources d’eau et des pâturages. Ils doivent se déplacer 3 à 5 fois par an. Les villages sont de façon typique faits de deux douzaines de maisons totalisant environ 120 individus. Ils sont composés d’un groupe de huttes semi-sphériques faites de branches et couvertes de cuir ou toiles. Les femmes sont chargées de démonter les maisons et les ré arranger dans leur nouveau lieu d’habitat. Près des huttes, un enclos de branches épineuses protège les dromadaires pour la nuit. Chaque type d’animal (dromadaires, brebis, chèvres, bétail) ont un camp séparé dont s’occupent des individus de différentes classes d’âge. Contrairement à d’autres tribus pastorales, les Rendile privilégient les dromadaires au bétail, car ils sont plus adaptés à leur environnement. Ils dépendent largement de ces animals pour nombre de leurs besoins quotidiens : nourriture, lait, habits, commerce et transport. Les Rendille sont des artisans qualifiés et créent des décorations et ornements divers. Les guerriers portent souvent fièrement une coiffure distinctive en forme de visière, coloré avec de l’ocre. Les femmes quant à elles portent plusieurs kilogrammes de perles. Les Rendille reçoivent les colliers de perles empooro engorio pour le mariage, faits de fibres de palmier, de poils de giraffe ou d’éléphant. De la même façon que les Maasai avec les vaches, les dromadaires sont saignés pour boire le sang. Les Rendille sont intimement liés aux Samburu, par des liens économiques et de parenté. Ils ont souvent adopté leur langue. Le mariage n’est pas autorisé à l’intérieur d’un même clan et est arrangé par les parents comme pour la plupart des tribus. Chaque femme vit dans sa propre maison avec ses enfants, et les mères ont un statut très reconnu. La société est solidement lié par les attaches familiales.Les Rendille croient dans un Dieu qu’ils appellent Wak ou Ngai. Ils ont aussi des voyants qui prédisent l’avenir, et réalisent des sacrifices pour faire pleuvoir. Des cérémonies spéciales ont lieu à la naissance d’un enfant. Une brebis ou chèvre est sacrifiée si c’est une fille, un bélier si c’est un garçon. La fille est bénie 3 fois, 4 pour le garçon. De la même manière, la mère boit du sang pendant 3 jours pour une petite fille, 4 pour un petit garçon. La cérémonie du mariage prend du temps. Le futur époux doit payer le prix de la mariée (gunu) à la famille de celle-ci : 4 dromadaires femelles et 4 dromadaires mâles (la moitié pour le père, les dromadaires restant pour le reste de la famille). L’un d’eux est mangé à la cérémonie. La mariée porte des bijoux faits de verre et de métal, des colliers de perles et de fils de fer, des bandeaux, et de larges boucles d’oreille circulaires. Elle rejoindra la famille de son mari après le mariage. Les aînés discutent les problèmes dans un cercle rituel appelé Nabo, dans lequel les femmes sont interdites d’entrer. Ils se rassemblent aussi à cet endroit pour prier, recevoir des invités et accomplir des cérémonies.

© Eric Lafforgue

www.ericlafforgue.com

Crown of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception (Crown of the Andes, Columbia) c. 1660 (diadem), c. 1770 (arches), gold and emeralds, 34.3 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

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Fibula (rear chamber, Regolini-Galassi Tomb, Cerveteri), 670–650 B.C.E., gold, 29.2 cm long Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Musei Vaticani)

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Autrefois, la rivière passait sous ce pont, donc très près du village. En 1957, il y a eu une très grosse crue qui a fait d’énormes dégâts dans toute la vallée, tous les prés de fauche en bas du village ont été abîmés. La rivière a été détournée et repoussée contre la montagne en face.Donc on a recréé un petit lac pour mettre le pont en valeur

Fibula (rear chamber, Regolini-Galassi Tomb, Cerveteri), 670–650 B.C.E., gold, 29.2 cm long Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Musei Vaticani)

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Fibula (rear chamber, Regolini-Galassi Tomb, Cerveteri), 670–650 B.C.E., gold, 29.2 cm long Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Musei Vaticani)

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My second repousse attempt using real tools: scrap-turned-Inro-wanna-be. About 3.25" h x 2.5" w x 1" d. I made the big sliding copper bead as well as the polymer clay box - a real project.

Cumdach (book shrine) of the Cathach, 1062–94 and late 14th century with later additions and repairs, bronze, gilt silver, wood, crystal, and glass, 19 x 25 x 5.25 cm (National Museum of Ireland)

l'enfant et l'église, village de Eus, Conflent, Pyrénées Orientales, France

view it BIGGER

More of the set Pittoresques Villages de France | More of the Set Pyrénées

See my most interesting pictures here or take some time to view the slideshow .

If you wish to licence some of my pictures, contact me directly on flickr or browse through my pictures on www.alamy.com/stock-photography/9BF67CE6-8AFD-4001-89A9-A... Giral.html.

History: Eus smells of the aromas of orchards, ancient olive groves and guarrigue. Built in a terrace shape, sheltered from the wind, its name comes from the green oaks (yeuses) that border the village.

Conceived for defence, Eus successfully repelled the French in 1598 and the Spaniards in 1793. St Vincent’s church (18th century) stands where a Roman camp used to be. The roman-style chapel is dedicated to the saint patron of wine-makers. It opens onto a 13th marble porch. (source: www.cometofrance.com)

Histoire: Entre la vallée du Conflent et le mont Canigou coiffé de neiges éternelles, cette magnifique petite cité fut construite dans un but défensif sur un mamelon jadis dominé par le château des comtes de Cerdagne.

Conçu pour la défense, Eus a repoussé en 1598 les français et en 1793 l'armée espagnole qui dominait alors le Conflent. L'église St Vincent du XVIIIe siècle se dresse à l'emplacement du camp romain qui surveillait la voie allant de Terrenera à la Cerdagne, et de Notre Dame de la Volta, ancienne chapelle du château bâtie au XIIIe siècle. A l'entrée d'Eus, la chapelle romane est dédiée au patron des vignerons et à St Gaudérique. Elle s'ouvre sur un porche du XIIIe siècle en marbre rose de Villefranche de Conflent. (source: Villages de France)

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Here's a selection of some of the chasing/repousse tools I've made. They're made from blank drill rod of different sizes. Drill rod or drill bit steel is an excellent tool steel with a high carbon content and is a great choice for these kinds of tools and stamps. They were hot forged on an anvil, hardened by heating to a bright cherry red in the forge and then quenched in used motor oil and lastly they were tempered using a torch flame. Hardening made them extremely hard but very brittle. Brittle to the point that if one was dropped on a concrete floor it could very well shatter to pieces. Tempering puts the right amount of flexibility back into the steel without losing the proper hardness.

The shapes were finalized with a grinder, a file and a belt sander after the hardening and before the tempering. They were brought to a blemish free mirror finish by using emery cloth, sandpaper, and various compounds on a high speed buffing wheel after they were tempered.

Hammers, knives, screw drivers, drill bits, pliers, you name it-they're all hardened and tempered for specific uses. The major difference is they're done in a temperature controlled oven.

Available. See profile for info.

The Rendille. Pushed away by their neighbours, they henceforth inhabit a vast territory : from the Kaisut Desert to the east to the shores of Lake Turkana to the west.They are semi-nomadic, that is to say both nomad and pastoralist. Clans live in temporary settlement called gobs. The Rendille never stay long at the same place to look for water sources and pasturing areas. They move 3 to 5 times a year. Women are in charge of taking the houses apart and putting them back in the new location. The Rendille favour camels rather than cattle, because they are better suited to the environment. The Rendille depend heavily on them for food, milk, clothing, trade and transport. The Rendille are skilled craftsmen and make many different decoration or ornaments. Like the Maasai with cows, camels are bled in order to drink their blood. Marriage is not allowed within one's own clan. Society is strongly bound by family ties. The Rendille still believe in their God, called Wak or Ngai. They also have fortune-tellers who predict the future, and perform sacrifices to make it rain. Special ceremonies take place at a child's birth. A ewe or goat is sacrificed if it is a girl, a ram if a boy. The girl is blessed 3 times while 4 for the boy. In the same way, mother drinks blood for 3 days for a babygirl, 4 days for a babyboy. The weeding ceremony takes time. The prospective groom must give the bridewealth to the bride's family: 4 female and 4 male camels.

Les Rendille. Repoussés par leurs voisins, ils habitent désormais un vaste territoire, qui va du Désert de Kaisut à l’est aux rives du Lac Turkana à l’ouest.Ils sont semi-nomades, c’est-à-dire à la fois nomades et pasteurs. Les clans vivent dans des installations temporaires appelées gobs. Les Rendille ne restent jamais longtemps au même endroit pour chercher des sources d’eau et des pâturages. Ils se déplacent 3 à 5 fois par an. Les femmes sont chargées de démonter les maisons et les replacer dans leur nouveau lieu d’habitat. Les Rendile privilégient les dromadaires au bétail, étant plus adaptés à leur environnement. Ils dépendent largement d’eux pour leur nourriture, lait, habits, commerce et transport. Les Rendille sont des artisans qualifiés et créent des décorations et ornements divers. Comme les Maasai avec les vaches, les dromadaires sont saignés pour boire le sang. Le mariage n’est pas autorisé à l’intérieur d’un même clan. La société est solidement lié par les attaches familiales.Les Rendille croient dans un Dieu qu’ils appellent Wak ou Ngai. Ils ont aussi des voyants qui prédisent l’avenir, et réalisent des sacrifices pour faire pleuvoir. Des cérémonies spéciales ont lieu à la naissance d’un enfant. Une brebis ou chèvre est sacrifiée si c’est une fille, un bélier si c’est un garçon. La fille est bénie 3 fois, 4 pour le garçon. De la même manière, la mère boit du sang pendant 3 jours pour une petite fille, 4 pour un petit garçon. La cérémonie du mariage prend du temps. Le futur époux doit payer le prix de la mariée à la famille de celle-ci : 4 dromadaires femelles et 4 mâles.

© Eric Lafforgue

www.ericlafforgue.com